Costa Rica World Cup 2026 Preview: Los Ticos Aim for Another Shock
Overview
Costa Rica's history of World Cup upsets — from beating Italy in 2014 to reaching the quarterfinals — gives them perpetual underdog status. Ranked #50, Los Ticos arrive with a blend of MLS-based experience and domestic league grit.
By the Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| FIFA Ranking | #50 |
| ELO Rating | 1590.0 |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Group | H |
Squad Analysis
Goalkeeping: Keylor Navas, Esteban Alvarado, Patrick Sequeira
Defense (8 players): Keysher Fuller, Francisco Calvo, Óscar Duarte, Celso Borges, Bryan Oviedo
Midfield (7 players): Yeltsin Tejeda, Bryan Ruiz, Jewison Bennette, Orlando Galo, Gerson Torres
Attack (5 players): Anthony Contreras, Joel Campbell, Johan Venegas, Manfred Ugalde
Total squad size: 23 players registered.
Key Intelligence
- No significant signals detected at this time.
Tactical Profile
Costa Rica's approach is built around 50% possession with a 75% pass completion rate. Statistical profile still developing.
Group H Outlook
Costa Rica will look to fight for qualification from Group H, where every point matters in the expanded 48-team format.
Data sourced from KickOracle models: ELO ratings, xG analytics, and real-time signal intelligence.